SALMON CULTURE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3140, 23 October 1922, Page 2

SALMON CULTURE.

ATLANTIC v. QUINNAT.

(J3y Cecil A, Whitney, Auckland). 1 noticed in one instance in the South Island the question of the unsuitability of quinuat salmon for our New Zealand rivers has been sidetracked, and an endeavor made to mix the relationship between the Atlantic, quinuat and other Pacific salmon, and, further the statement is made “That the question is rather belated, because all varieties of salmon which enter the rivers to spawn apparently also die.” This assertion certainly applies to all Pacific salmon, which die after they have completed their long run to the head waters, and have duly spawned, but the Atlantic salmon very seldom die after spawning. Some, do if they are not in good condition at spawning; but 1 lived for a number of years on one of the finest Scotch salmon rivers, the Dee, and I never saw a. dead salmon, nor did I ever hear of dead salmon. .My father, who lived for a number of years on a very fine salmon river in the South of Ireland, never saw a. dead fish after spawning. When it reaches an old age it dies at sea, or, as a matter of fact, when it becomes too weak to evade its sea enemies, it finishes a grand life by becoming food for the sea fish. The life of the Pacific salmon is from three to four years and it has been proved in Canada not to be a difficult matter to exterminate them by excessive catching. By all means let the Government start on the work and rid our New Zealand waters of a most unsatisfactory fish. Meantime the waste of money in artificial rearing of the Pacific salmon should he stopped, and the money and the men bo employed in, successfully acclimatising Atlantic salmon in our northern and southern rivers. Iho Atlantic salmon cannot be compared with the inferior Pacific .salmon. The iSalmo Salar is quite a distinct species, and is the king of fish in regard to sport, food, and length of life. When tbc quinuat salmon first began to run in our southern rivers it was no use telling cither the Government or anyone else that the quinuat were going to die in tho rivers, the same as tho Pacific salmon, because no one would have believed, ft lias now been definitely proved by the immense number of dead and dying lish thrown up on the banks of tho southern rivers where runs take place, that they ail die alter spawning, and consequently quinuat is not a suitable lish for our' rivers. I am quite satisfied that as the population on the increase, there will be a hue and cry to the Government to prevent the pollution of our rivers by 1 bese dead l lish. It Is therefore, most desirable to take measures next year that will eventually lead to their’ extermination. The fact that they run up to spawn and die should 1 not make extermination difficult. This is-another ieaseu against the quinuat and in favor ‘■•l the Atlantic salmon, because the latter run up to spawn regularly, and. with tile exception of the herring around the British Isles, is one of the most, prolific fish known. Brown trout in some of our New Zealand rivers go down to the sea and return to the rivers to spawn, but they do not die after spawning. They reliirn to the rivers regularly, a silvery, sea-run lish. Unfortunately, the searun brown 1 1 out do not afford sport except in isolated eases, because they seldom take a fly or other artificial bait. The brown trout that do not go down in the sea and grow to the size of lib to (jib in weight, afford very fine flyfishing in our rivers, taking both wet and dry fly freely, according to the weather, if calm, windy, wet or dry. ft is to be regretted that the Otago Acclimatisation Society has not taken note of the habits of the quinuat. and the fatal results of its spawning operations. and. therefore, could not express an opinion as to whether the dead fish would pollute the rivers' and make it necessary to exterminate the quinuat salmon from New Zealand waters. They do not seem to realise that the pollution of the waters by great masses of putrid fish thrown up on the river hanks is likely to lie detrimental to the health of the public at times when the weather is hot and the rivers very low. which is generally the case when live quinuat run ini to spawn and die. The chief ranger of the Southland Acclimatisation Society recently stated that a run of multitudes of Atlantic salmon took place this year in the Waian River. Southland, and in various streams flowing into Bake Te Anan. mam - of the fish being up to 2011) in weight. Tho main run took place in May. Juno, and July. Moreover, the chief ranger collected ova from these salmon for the Southland Aeei.miatisalinn Society, and they are to be liberated in the Southland rivers, 'fins is great news. Next year I hope the Auckland Acclimatisation Society will be able to purchase a large quantity of ova and begin stocking the Waikato River by liberating the parr in Baku Taupe; also in the Wanganui River. The former beyond' doubt would make one of the finest fishing rivers in the world, if once this fine fish was acclimatised in it. Tourists and sightseers at the Hnka Falls, which hy the way is fast developing into a rapid, would spend hours watching the salmon leaping the falls and passing through the rapid on their way to tho home of their birth. Bake Tanpo. Although several authorities agree that the Atlantic salmon originally came from a sea fish, it appears to have developed all the characteristics of a river fish, spending quite half ts life in fresh water, propagating its species in fresh water: quite different from tint qninnal salmon and all species of Pacific salmon, which spend all their life in the sea and 1 ' only go up the river once to spawn and die! There is abundant evidence that the Atlantic salmon does not interfere with the trout in the British Isles, hut on the other hand the trout are very hard on the salmon parr as thev go down lo the sea. Eels also take large numbers and eat the ova. That is one of the reasons the salmon deposits its ova, in the smallest stream and as near tho bead waters as possible. According to Yarrell. “What distinguishes the salmon salar from all other species is Ibe form of the opercular bones which show a round ont--1 nc to the posterior edge of the gillcovers, (he longest diameter of which I" ihe nisi' would be in a line through t!i“ eye. whilst in all other migratory species I be same line would pass Inflow till l eye.” I Ins is no donbl an infallible lest and easily applied.